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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bound — certain
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — electric
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — happening now
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com